Turn-table attachment for automobiles.



F. HELDER. TURN TABLE ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION TILED JAN. 24, 1912.

1,061,073. Patented May 6, 1913.

min 1 mmmm Z0 raiser rnnnrnann HELDER, or NEW form, n. Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6. 1913.

Application filed January 24, 1912.' Serial N0. 673,227.

citizen of the United States of America, re-' siding in New York, in the borough of Richmond, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Turn-Table Attachments for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved turn-table attachment for automobiles, by which an automobile or other vehicle can be readily turned on the spot for reversing its direction of motion Without the chauffeur getting out of the vehicle for turning the same in connection with the turn-table at tachment.

The invention consists more specifically of certain improvements in the turn-table attachment for automobiles,,for which an application for Letters Patent was filed by me on Nov. 2, 1'911,"Serial No. 658,097, the improve'ment. permitting the turning of the automobile on its axis by auxiliary mechanism arranged adjacent .to the seat of the chauffeur so as to permit the reversing of the same Without moving it backward and forward, while in the former application the chauffeur had to leave the car and turn it on the supporting-post by a turn-table arrangement for reversing it for changing its direction of motion; and for this piirpose the invention consists of a turn-table attachment for automobiles and other vehicles in which the vehicle is provided at or near its center of gravity with a' hollow supporting-post having a foot-piece swiveledv thereto at its lower end in connection with means for lowering the supporting-post and foot-piece on the groundand raising the automobile on the post, and with means for locking the post to the toot-piece for producing in connection with a planetary gearing the turning of the automobile around the supporting-post after the same is locked in fixed position to the foot-piece until it is placed in the required position for reversing the direction of motion of the same.

The invention consists further of certain details of construction which will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side-elevation of an automobile with my improved turntable attachment, showingthe automobile raised above the ground and ready for being turned. Fig. 2 is a detail side-elevation of the turn-table attachment, shown in vertical section through the frame or chassis and seatportionef the automobile, and drawn on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a plan-view of Fig. 2, showing the planetary gearing, said figure being partly in horizontal section on line Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail vertical central section through the lower portion of the supporting-post and foot-piece of the turn-table attachment, showing the key for locking the post rigidly to the foot-piece for permitting the turning of the automobile around the post after it has been raised above the ground. Fig. 5 represents a horizontal section on line 5-5 of Fig. a. Fig. 6 represents a vertical longitudinal section of fragments of the socket and supporting post and side elevations of the key-for locking said parts andot' the actuating rod therefor, the key being in full lines in downward locking position and in dotted lines in upward unlocked position.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents an automobile or other power-driven vehicle which is provided with my improved turntable attachment. This attachment consists of a foot-piece 11 which is provided with an upright center-socket 1. -In the socket 1 is supported the upright center-post 12 which extends to some distance into the socket and which rests by its lower conicallytapering end ina correspondingly shaped step of the foot-piece 11, anti-friction balls being arranged between the lower part of the supporting-post 12 and the socket l of the footpiece, as shown in Fig. l. The supportingpo-st 12 is cylindrical at its lower and middle port-ions, square at its upper portion and provided with a screw-thread at its middle portion 19. The screw -thrcaded middle portion19 engages an interiorly-threaded sleeve 9 which is located in a hole of the bottom-frame or chassis 17 of the automobile, said sleeve being provided with flanges which are firmly bolted to the frame 17. 'The square upper portion passes through a sleeve 8 which is attached to the seat-frame 18 of the automobile, the upper portion being extended to some height above the seatframe. The sleeve 8 is made cylindrical so as to permit the turning of the square upsame.

' frame, said gear-wheel being provided with a-n upright "handle 22 for turning the. same and'thereby the pinion 20 and the supporting-post 1 The mechanism so far described constitutes the turn-table attachment and permits the lowering of the supporting-post and the foot-piece on the same until the latter arrives on thel ground. On continuing the motion of the gear-wheel 21, the automobile is lifted on the threaded portion of the post until its wheels are sufiiciently above the ground'for permitting the turning of the automobile on the supporting-post, as shown in Fig. 1.

The supporting-post l2 is provided with a center-bore which-eXten'ds'from its upper end to its lower end located within the socket of. the foot-piece. At the lower end of the bore a radial recess 6 is arranged in the post 12, in which recess is located a key 15 which is applied by a swivel-connection to,.the lower inclined "end of a key-actuating rod.25 whichextends throughout the entire bore of the post 12 and to the outside above the upper end of the same andwhich is provided at its upper end with a knob 30 and between the knob and the upper end of the post 12with a helical spring 34 which serves to'hold' the key-actuatingrod in raised position and the key out of engagement with interior recesses 14 of the socket 1 of the foot piece. The swivel-connection of the key with the lower inclined end of the keyactuating rod 25 is formed of a yoke 27 ap plied to the key 15 and a ball-shaped end 26 at the lower end of the rod 25, a cushioning spring 28 being interposed between thcyoke 27 and a shoulder formed bythe larger lower end of the rod 25, as shown. clearly in Figs. it and 6.

The locking operation is accomplished by pressing down the knob 30 against the tension of its spring 34 and then locking the key-actuating rod 25 by a slotted rod 32 pivoted at 31 to the knob 30 to a lug 33 onthe uppermost endof the supporting-post 12.

When the key rod 25 is pushed down, thecorner of the key 15 which appears as the lower orner in Fig. 1 comes in contact with I thebottom of the socket and causes said key to swing on its pivot into horizontal .position'as shown in Fig; 6 whereby the outer end of-the key is thrust into engagement 1 with onel'lof theinterior slots '14: of; said socket causing the locking of the socket anda post. This swinging of the key intohorizontalpositioncauses one corner of the lug thereof to contract the 'spring123; -When this has been accomplished, the'=body of the vehicle can be turned around the supportingpost by turning a second pinion 23 which is foot-piece by disengaging the locking-rod 32 from the lug 33 and the key-actuating rod is immediately raised by its spring 34. This lifting of the rod permits the key 15 by its swivel-connection with the inclined lower I provided with a crank-handle 24: and which i the key is unlocked from the sleeve of the end of the rod 25 to 'be'swung under the action of the spring28 out of engagement with the recess 14: of the socket of the footpiece so that the supporting-post is now free to turn in the foot-piece for lowering the automobile to the ground. This is accomplished by turning the gear-wheel 21 and pinion 20 in theopposite direction so that the screw sleeve 9 moves 'along the threaded portion 19 of the supporting-post 12 and returns thereby the automobile to the ground, and by continuing the turning motion of the gear-wheel raises the footpiece to a suificient height above the ground so as not to interfere with the movement of the vehicle.

' The operating parts for lowering the footpiece and raising the automobile on the supporting-post as well as the operating parts for locking thepost to the socket of the foot-piece and then moving the automobile around the axis of the supportingpost until its position is reversed and thesame placed into the proper direction of motion, are all arranged on the seat-frame of the vehicle adjacent to the seat of the chauffeur. and preferably covered up in a suitable manner so as to be operated when required from the seat of the chauffeur without the latter being compelled to leave the automobile for performing the reversing motion, so that an efficient means is provided for raising the automobile and reversing without moving it backward and forward and then lowering it again to the ground in a quick and eifective manner.

I claim: 1 a

1. zAn improved turn-table attachment for ripeness automobiles, comprising a foot-piece, a supporting-post rotatable in said foot piece, means for lowering the foot-piece to the ground and simultaneously raising the automobile in respect to the toot-piece, means for locking the supporting-post to the foot piece, and a planetary gear for rotating the automobile around the supporting-post after the same is interlocked with the foot-piece.

9. An improved turn-table attachment for rmtomobiles, comprising a foot-piece provided with an interiorly-recessed socket, a tubular supporting-post rotatable in said toot-piece and provided with a screw-threaded middle portion, an interiorly-threaded sleeve secured to the bottom-frame of the automobile for engaging said screw-threaded portion, a key-actuating rod arranged in the bore of the post, a key swiveled to the lower end of said key-rod and adapted to engage the interior recesses of said socket, .means for raising or lowering the key-rod and placing the key into or out ot mesh with the socket of the toot-piece, and a planetary gear for rotating the automobile around the supporting-post after the same is locked to the foot-piece.

3; A turn-table attachment for automoin said socket, said post being provided with a screw-threaded middle portion and square upper portion, an interiorly-threaded sleeve attached to the bottom-frame of the vehicle and adapted to engage said screw-threaded portion of the post, a key-operating rod in the bore of the post, a key swiveledto the lower end of said rod, means for raising or lowering said rod and placing the key' in or out of locking connection with the recesses in the socket of the foot-piece, a pinion on the square upper end of said supporting-post, ,a gear-wheel meshing with said pinion,- and a second pinion intermeshing with the gearwheel for turning the automobile after the same is lifted above the ground around the supporting-post and reversing its direction of motion.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FERDINAND HELDER.

' Witnesses:

PAUL Gonrnn, J 01-11 MURTAGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatenta, Washington, D. C. 

